Holden From Craft to economies of scale

James Alexaner Holden final backgorundThe name Holden spanned the car manufacturing period that went from small innovative craft companies to huge manufactures seeking economies of scale.  As David Brown reports.

In 1852, James Alexander Holden emigrated to South Australia from Walsall,[6] England, and started a company in Adelaide making horse saddles, harnesses and equipment in 1856.

In the early 1900s, Ransom Olds invented the assembly line and Henry Ford mechanised it. But there were still many independent, car makers. The big companies had yet to establish fully owned operations in Australia.

Holden first began vehicle production in 1917 making car bodies for imported Chevrolet chassis.

In 1931 having be greatly affected by the depression Holden “merged” with General Motors.

Production or assembly plants have operated in all mainland states of Australia which were then consolidated in an engine plant in Melbourne and an assembly line in Adelaide and then ceased altogether.

Motoring Minutes are heard around Australia every day on over 50 radio channels through the Torque Radio networkMotoring Minutes have an average daily audience of over 150,000 listeners. 

About David Brown 607 Articles
David’s boyhood passion for motor cars did not immediately lead to a professional role in the motor industry. A qualified Civil Engineer he specialised in traffic engineering and transport planning. What followed were various positions including being seconded to a government think-tank for the planning of transport firstly in Sydney and then for the whole of NSW. After working with the NRMA and as a consultant he moved to being an independent writer and commentator on the broader areas of transport and the more specific areas of the cars we drive. His half hour motoring program “Overdrive” has been described as an “informed, humorous and irreverent look at motoring and transport from Australia and overseas”. It is heard on 22 stations across Australia. He does weekly interviews with several ABC radio stations and is also heard on commercial radio in Sydney. David has written for metropolitan and regional newspapers and has presented regular segments on metropolitan and regional television stations. David is also a contributor for AnyAuto